


Curious

by ticklishraspberries



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Curiosity, F/M, Fluff, Tickling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-30
Updated: 2018-09-30
Packaged: 2019-07-20 20:00:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16144454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ticklishraspberries/pseuds/ticklishraspberries
Summary: Eleven is curious; Mike indulges her





	Curious

Mike adored the curious look in El’s eyes when she learned something new.

The time she had spent with Hopper and watching all that TV had expanded her vocabulary but left her hungry for the kind of normalcy she witnessed in the black and white soap operas.

They were far from normal, but Mike hoped he could bring El some kind of comfort. He wanted her to be happy because he believed that she deserved to be nothing but. She had already been through so much and he couldn’t stand to see her hurt more.

“You make me feel safe,” she had mumbled into his shoulder as they hugged. His heart fluttered at the mere memory of it.

But El was safe, and they all were. Sure, a little traumatized, but the Upside Down was finally closed, and they had the chance to just be kids.

El still didn’t quite get D&D, but she loved to watch them play. She would sit between Mike and Max, eyes wide as she observed.

A snarky comment from Will earned him a few pokes to the ribs from Mike, making him laugh and nearly squirm out of his chair.

When Mike looked back to El, he could see that curious glint in her eyes.

***

“What did you do to Mike?” she asked once the other kids had left. Hopper was working late and would be picking her up soon, but he hated leaving her alone if he had a choice.

“Huh?”

“While you were playing, you touched him and he laughed.”

Mike furrowed his brows at her before remembering the instance she was talking about. “Oh! I just tickled him.”

“Tickled?”

And then it dawned on Mike that El hadn’t had the same kind of childhood. She had never been wrestled to the ground and tickled to tears by an older sister for a harmless prank or rolled around in the grass with friends, fingers desperately finding sensitive spots and laughter pouring from each of their mouths. It made him sad to know she had missed out on something that felt so normal to him.

“It’s basically when you touch someone and it makes them laugh,” he said. “And if you laugh, that means you’re ticklish.”

“Ticklish,” El repeated.

Mike grinned at her. “Are you ticklish, El?”

She giggled. “I don’t know.”

“Do you mind if..?” he extended his hand, fingers poised and hovering over her knee, bare due to her denim shorts.

She nodded.

Mike’s fingers touched her skin softly, fingers spreading out over her kneecap.

El let out a little gasp, her lips involuntarily curling into a smile and her leg jerked.

“I think you are ticklish,” he said, repeating the action over and over until she was giggling uncontrollably.

She never once batted him away or asked him to stop though. He didn’t want to overwhelm her, so he stopped once her cheeks were a satisfying shade of pink.

“You touched Will’s side before. Are people ticklish everywhere?” she asked.

It felt so weird to explain it out loud. “It depends on the person really. Like, Will is ticklish almost everywhere. But Lucas is only ticklish in certain places.”

“Are you ticklish, Mike?”

Mike flushed. “Yes.” He couldn’t lie to her, even if he wanted to.

She smiled. “Can I try?”

“Oh! Um, yeah, sure.”

She reached out her hand shyly, putting her hand on his stomach. She repeated the same kind of motion Mike had done to her knees.

He giggled, fighting the urge to curl in on himself and shove her away. “Try wiggling your fingers more,” he told her, trying to ignore his embarrassment towards the fact that he was literally instructing El on how to tickle him best.

She did just that, and Mike’s giggles kicked up a notch. She was smiling, obviously entertained by her new discovery.

She stopped after a moment, letting Mike breathe before she touched her own stomach.

“You can’t tickle yourself,” Mike said. “It’s a psychological thing.”

And El actually pouted. “Well that’s not fair,” she said. “I wanted to see where else I’m ticklish.”

Mike scooted closer to her. “I can tickle you if you want,” he said softly, ignoring how odd of an offer that was.

She clapped her hands together. “Yes please.”

Mike reached out tentatively. “If you want me to stop, just say so and I will, okay?”

She nodded. “I trust you.”

His heart fluttered at her words, and he reached out to scribble over her stomach gently, making her start to laugh after only a few seconds. Her laughter was something quite rare to hear, especially so loudly and freely. But Mike could listen to it for the rest of his life, he figured.

His fingers explored her stomach, sides, ribs, under her arms, and her neck before she asked him to stop, catching her breath.

“Where do you think tickled most?” he asked her.

She thought for a moment. “My sides,” she replied.

He reached out to poke her there once more, making her giggle and push his hand away.

“Where are you most ticklish?” she asked.

And Mike could deal with explaining tickling and all that, he didn’t get embarrassed by simply talking about it. But when the conversation turned to his own sensitivity, he felt his cheeks heat up.

“Um…my neck,” he said softly.

She reached out, hand stopping just short of his skin.

Mike tensed, already feeling laughter building in his chest from the mere threat.

“Can I?” she asked.

He nodded.

And when she dragged her fingers oh-so-softly over his neck, the shriek that left his mouth startled them both.

El’s eyes had more than curiosity in them by that point; it was mischief.

Her touch returned, skittering over his worst spot like she hadn’t just learned what tickling was approximately ten minutes ago.

“El, I cahan’t!”

“Can’t what?” she asked, her tone bordering on almost teasing.

“Take it!”

“Should I stop now?”

“Yes please!”

She pulled away immediately, then leaned in to kiss his nose gently.

“You’re more ticklish than me,” she said.

He pouted playfully. “Don’t make fun of me.”

“I’m not! I’m just stating facts.”

“Well, Will is way more ticklish than me, just so you know.”

Perhaps it was a mistake equipping El with such knowledge, but it was damn funny to see Will laughing beneath her fingers.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed!  
> Feedback is always appreciated!  
> Tumblr: ticklishraspberries.tumblr.com  
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